Fallout
by Carpe Diem Cras
Summary: As the White City counts down to a possible last stand against the onslaught of Hell's demonic horde, a Horseman discovers the true potential of the Third Kingdom. Fic takes place nine years after KH-2. Rated for violence. MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH.
1. Prologue

**Blanket Disclaimer: **We own nothing.

* * *

**Prologue**

* * *

Sunset in the Destiny Isles was a beautifully prosaic phenomenon. The entire archipelago would be bathed in soft orange and yellow tones as the sun dipped below the horizon, and the tide would return from its voyage, gentle waves sloshing as they dotted the shore with thalassa shells.

_Thalassa shells…_

He looked to the string of them clutched in his palm and smiled. Why Kairi had given it back to him he didn't know, but it was fitting: thalassa necklaces were supposed to protect you on your journey. He hadn't left home for years now, but it seemed she could sense that it wasn't over yet for him.

_. . ._

_Y__OU'RE WAITING, AREN'T YOU?_

_WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN._

_. . ._

"Maybe I am," Sora said quietly.

Ten years ago something did indeed, _happen_. Ten years ago a fourteen year-old boy with sand in his hair and wide blue eyes set out on possibly the adventure of a lifetime_._ He hadn't been prepared for it then, but this time he would be. He was smarter now; stronger.

Or so he thought.


	2. Chapter 1: The End?

God appears, and God is light,  
To those poor souls who dwell in night;  
But does a human form display  
To those who dwell in realms of day

-William Blake

* * *

**Chapter 1: The End?**

* * *

**Destiny Islands**

...

Riku shifted and tried to be patient. Dunking a person's head in the water to make them snap out of it was probably unseemly for his image but it was Sora so…

...it wasn't beneath him.

"I know, I know," Kairi yawned from the coconut tree she was perched. She tucked an unruly strand of auburn hair behind her ear. "Staring out at the horizon and being moody is _your_ thing."

"Don't ever let anyone tell you that you have a way with flattery Kairi."

She grinned at his sullen expression. "You're just annoyed that he does it better than you."

He ignored that one and crossed his arms, nodding over to Sora in the distance. "So, do you think he'll close it?"

She blinked, somewhat perplexed by the question.

"I mean, he doesn't have to, you know," Riku continued, still studying their friend in the distance. "It's not like the world's gonna be in danger if it's not. He doesn't have to—"

"He _has_ to do it Riku." Kairi's tone was final. "All the doors have to be sealed, heartless or no heartless. King Mickey—"

"I understand that. But you can't make someone just forget about something that's been a huge part of their life and move on-it's not that easy."

"I know _that_, I just…" her expression softened and she looked down at her lap. "I want things to go back to _normal_, Riku."

"Haven't they always been?"

"I _know_ you've noticed, Riku."

"So you won't hold it against me if I dunk his head in the sea? He sure is taking his sweet time."

Kairi poked his shoulder with her toe. One of her sandals dropped onto the sand in the process. Heaving a sigh, he slouched off from where he'd been leaning and bent to pick it up. His eyes were on Sora as he straightened before he surveyed the quickly darkening sky above them.

"Riku?"

He handed her sandal back to her. "Let's go. Current's getting stronger and I don't like the look of those storm clouds."

"Yeah, yeah."

They headed over in silence. A few paces away from Sora, he stopped, wondering if the clouds were an omen, just like ten years ago when all of this started. Were things going to change again? He sensed, rather than saw Kairi smile beside him.

"You know," she whispered, tugging his sleeve. "I still see that same goofy kid who used to trip over himself while running."

"I'll be sure to let him know," Riku teased.

"Oh _you_," she laughed, shoving him. They continued toward Sora but he hesitated again.

"What's eating you?"

Riku could feel a frown forming on his face in spite of his efforts to the contrary. "You know, Sora hasn't been himself lately. It's like every time he closes a door something etches onto his heart. It's hard to explain, but it seemed like it got harder for him the next time round."

"I think I get it though. No one ever likes saying good-bye. But we have to do it; it's a part of growing up."

Riku smirked. "Someone's in a hurry to grow up."

"I just...we can't keep putting our lives on hold, you know?"

"Okay. You can be the one to tell him that."

Kairi laughed at that. Hearing her Sora finally glanced their way, bright blue eyes quizzical. Inwardly, Riku shook his head. Kairi was right. No matter how much older Sora got, the same goofy kid still remained.

"What's so funny?" Sora asked.

"Kairi says she'll marry you if you got a new haircut," Riku called with his hands cupped around his mouth.

Sora's hands went to his head dramatically. "She said _what_ about my haircut?"

Riku smirked. Ten years and they were still playing this game.

"I did _not_!" Kairi shrieked.

Riku laughed as he dodged a kick in the shins, before running up and down the beach trying to sweet-talk her into not throwing a coconut at him because she had a damn good throwing arm. He held up his hands in mock-surrender, backing away.

"Now now Kairi,"

"_I_ _do _not _think that_—"

Riku did his best imitation of her. "_It's so scruffy omigod and don't get me started about the five o'clock shadow…_OW!_" _

"Hah! Serves you right!" Kairi laughed. Her eyes widened at his expression and the coconuts rolled down the sand toward the sea as she took off.

"Don't say I didn't warn you!" Riku said, tearing after her.

Moments later there was a shriek and a splash as he dumped her in the water. He turned back to see if Sora'd come to her rescue (like he always did) but the latter just chuckled and lay down in the sand, crossing his hands behind his head. Right before Kairi forced Riku's head underwater he saw his friend holding out a hand to the sky, as if reaching for something.

_He really does miss it, _Riku thought.

. . .

"Hey, Kairi," Riku started hesitantly. "I wanna show you something."

Kairi rolled her eyes as she continued drying her hair. "If you think I'm gonna share a paopu fruit with you after that display, think again."

"So keep an open mind, okay?" he pressed.

Seeing his expression she frowned, but nodded.

Facing her, he held out his hand between them and closed his eyes. In moments, pure darkness emanated from it, crackling and flickering as if sensing too much light. The air around them begin to grow colder. Kairi looked back to Riku and could not suppress the shudder that ran through her body. _Those eyes. _This was the power that had once claimed his heart, mind and body.

"Riku?" she asked worriedly.

Riku directed the energy towards Sora. As if it had a mind of its own, black tendrils shot out like tentacles, reaching greedily for the latter, restrained only by Riku's control.

Kairi put a hand on his arm. "Riku stop,"

"Thanks for keeping an open mind," he said wryly. And then he let go. The energy fluctuated dangerously once, twice, then surged toward Sora with speed unequal to anything Kairi had ever seen before, but an intent she was all too familiar with.

Her grip tightened to a painful degree. "You'll hurt him!"

"It's _okay_," Riku said, sounding strained. "Just watch."

Kairi looked ahead, panic rising. But just as suddenly as the dark energy honed in on Sora, it dissipated. The latter continued to lie there, oblivious.

She looked back to Riku who now had his arms crossed over his chest, regarding her expectantly.

"Are you crazy!" she yelled through watery eyes, "what are you trying to prove!"

"Nothing, apparently," he muttered. He started for Sora again.

"_Nothing_?" Kairi hissed, wrenching him to face her. "You attacked him when he was defenseless!"

"The darkness died when it got to him, didn't it?" he said coolly.

"What's that got to do with anything!"

"_Nothing, _Kairi. I was just showing you that the light in his heart is still strong" he explained, as calmly as he could. "His resolve's still there. There's no way he _won't_ close the last door. So we don't have to worry about him giving into darkness."

"Then why," she sniffed, wiping the tears hastily away"why did you have to scare me like that?"

"Because you're worried and I know you never stop unless I show you proof."

"I really hate you sometimes, you know?"

"I wouldn't be me if you didn't," he replied evenly.

"You guys okay?" Sora called, sitting up. Concern lined his features. "What's with all the yelling. And why's Kairi crying?"

"She's just angry that I stood up one of her friends," Riku called back.

Kairi kicked him.

Sora laughed and rolled his eyes . "Which one?"

"The cute blonde one."

Sora smirked. "If she's so cute why'd you stand her up?"

"I'm still wondering myself," Riku answered. Noticing Kairi's stony gaze he shrugged. "I do."

Kairi poked him in the chest. "You didn't really stand her up, did you? Because if you did—"

"She has a protective older brother so it wasn't like I could help myself."

"God. You're hopeless, both of you" Kairi sighed.

"If he didn't win that race I probably wouldn't be," Riku pointed out. That comment made her smile again.

"Still a sore loser I see."

Riku's mouth twitched, irritated. "I tripped."

"_Sure_."

"On _purpose_."

. . .

_She's right about that_, Riku mused twenty minutes later while he waited for Kairi to finish changing. After hearing the old shack door creak open he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Hey," Kairi said. "I'm going to head back—a little tired. Will you tell him?"

"Yeah, I'll go get him in a bit." He smiled to reassure her.

She nodded and started walking back to the jetty. He watched her set off, heading towards the mainland. When the sound of the craft's small motor faded and all he could hear was the waves and wind, he pondered on what had happened earlier, relieved but not at all too pleased that he'd had to lie to her. Some habits just couldn't be outgrown, it seemed.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he started back for the beach letting his thoughts run freely, like the wind caressing his face.

_DARKNESS…_

_It didn't dissipate because of the light; it was _drained_._

_BY WHO?_

_I actually had to lie to Kairi. _

_RESOLVE…_

_He's been sealing countless worlds attacked by Heartless, so why do things seem…_

_UNBALANCED?_

_I __know__ I saw something._

_HIM?_

"Sora!" Riku forced a smile as he called out to the brunette. "Come on! That's enough emo for one day."

Sora got up, brushed the sand from his clothes and started walking up the bank. Riku studied him. Sandy brown hair blowing in the wind, crown-shaped keepsake around his neck clinking, black jeans and zipper jacket wrinkled from sitting on the sand-yep, in a sense nothing much had changed over the past 10 years.

"Did Goofy and Donald write back?" he asked when he reached him.

Riku shrugged. "Knowing those two, they'd probably be too busy with King Mickey's affairs. You know how it is."  
_  
_"And chances are Goofy might not know how to write and Donald'd spend too much time thinking about what to say," Sora agreed with a laugh.

Riku wondered how it was possible for someone to be so carefree.

On the way back while they reminisced, Riku continued to observe him carefully in the corner of his eye, trying to find reasons to snuff his suspicions. His best friend was still the same; still the same goofball so obtusely grounded by his beliefs. That being a good enough reason he pushed his concerns aside and decided not to ask. Sora would talk when he was ready. Or maybe he already was and he hadn't been paying attention.

_Growing up is such a pain in the ass. _

By the time they reached a forked pathway on the mainland lit with lanterns, night had fallen and it was time to part ways.

"So," Riku said, clapping him on the back, bringing the moron back to earth—_again_. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Don't you have work?" Sora deadpanned.

"It's _Saturday, _Sora."

He blinked dumbly. "It is?"

Riku sighed. "What's _with_ you?"

Sora scratched the back of his head and shrugged. "Dunno. I've been having trouble sleeping these past few months. Maybe I'm just being mellow."

"Understatement of the year," Riku remarked, shaking him by the shoulders. "Just _try_, okay? We'll see you tomorrow. Oh, and uh, you're going to seal the last door, right?" he asked, slowly moving away to his path of the road.

Sora eyed him cynically. "You have been dying to ask me that I take it."

"Just curious."

"I'll seal it, just like the others and hopefully…everything will be fine", he made it sound like a question than an answer.

"I hope so too, you can't really risk losing this race" Riku said with a smirk. "Kairi's not going to wait forever, you know."

Sora's eyes flared indignantly (actually _everything _flared—he was quite expressive). "You tripped _on purpose_ you dummy!"

"That's not what Kairi saw."

"_See you later,_ Riku and stop picking on Kairi!"

Turning to the other path, Sora started walking down.

Not one to say goodbye, Riku strangely felt like he had to. Whether or not it made a difference didn't matter; doing things without regard to the consequences was a habit he seemed to have sponged off from his friend. Giving in, he called out just before Sora disappeared around a corner.

"Hey Sora, do me a favour, will ya?"

"What?" Sora asked, turning.

"Don't ever change," Riku said with a straight face.

Sora pretended to ponder on that. "Favors are temporary, you sure you don't want to make it a promise?" he offered with a grin.

"It's a favor because I want you to be free to do whatever you think is right." With a final wave that seemed more like a salute, the latter turned and walked.

Sora stared after him, puzzled for a moment. And then he shrugged it off and continued for home, admiring the lanterns. Light illuminating the darkness gave him hope. He couldn't remember the last time he walked home this late, with the calm breeze in his hair and a blanket of brilliantly twinkling stars over his head, but it felt nice; felt good. Anxieties regarding the last door were leaving him and he even whistled a tune to himself. Everything would work out.

_I've done good, haven't I? _

_SPECTACULARLY._

A chilly wind blew all around Sora, making the lanterns rock unsteadily yet he remained unaffected. _I've done the right thing. _As long as there was light in his heart, he'd make it through anything. He'd never be alone.

_OH, REALLY?_

He stopped and looked up in the sky, thinking about the amazing people he'd met in Radiant Garden, Twilight Town and all the other vast worlds he'd traveled to. He reckoned he could beat Cloud in a fight now.

_But, as long as they're safe_, he thought.

Looking at his hand, a white light shimmered then quickly disappeared leaving behind his Keyblade, the Kingdom Key. It was funny despite how much he'd grown, he still needed two hands to support its weight and responsibility. Holding it above his head he pointed it at the sky, the golden hilt gleaming from the light of the lanterns. Closing his eyes he felt a familiar warmth from the hearts of all those he had touched and who had touched his in return along the way. He wasn't alone. They were thinking of him, too.

"Can't look back now" he told himself. Lowering the weapon, he stared at his reflection in the blade. He saw two things: a man with his face grave with experience and memories and a goofy-looking kid, still eager for adventure.

_Sorry buddy. _

"It would be nice to visit Goofy and Donald one last time", he said pleasantly to himself. The key blade blurred in white light and disappeared.

Putting his hands behind his head, Sora continued walking home towards the town now ahead him, small windows of houses were visible from the lights spilling out of them into the cold night.

_I've done the right thing. _

Content with his choice, Sora made his way with a lighter mind further down the path. So immersed was he in his relief that he did not notice the lanterns he passed begin to flicker and grow dim. Then, one by one in an almost ominous sequence, the light in them extinguished as darkness crept up on him. When the last pair in front of Sora went dark he quickly pivoted, alert with keyblade in hand. After a few moments, he exhaled and started walking again.

"It's just the wind," he muttered to himself.

But he tightened his grip on the keyblade anyway.

* * *

**Castle Oblivion**

**. . .**

A heartless crawled over rubble, moving chunks of wreckage from its path trying to get to the other side of mess, yellow eyes piercing, and antennae twitching as it got closer. There was light lurking amongst the shadows of Castle Oblivion and it would find it before its brethren became any wiser.

Jumping over shattered foundations, and broken beams it made its way further in, pausing atop a pile of rubble preceding a room where the energy seemed to be emanating from; warmer, warmer still. Jumping and landing near the entrance it raised its claws in greedy anticipation. It had arrived. It lunged, claws outstretched and reaching greedily—

It paused suddenly.

Antennae twitching furiously, its yellow eyes darted about. All it could see was an empty, circular room with throne chairs organized in equally circular fashion and a gaping hole in the ceiling where light seeped in from the outside. A battle had been fought here years ago but the creature found its attention drawn to one of the throne chairs. _Xemnas,_ the old owner's name had been.

A dark portal suddenly ripped into being right in front of the heartless, distorting time and space. Wary, it leapt backward. And then it waited.

And waited.

Waited some more.

Curious, it crawled over and stopped right in front of it; a clawed finger reaching out to lightly scrape against its surface. There was no life, no light, nothing to be seen through the abyss but it still seemed to shimmer and ripple, at its touch, like a pool of dark water. The heartless' antennae pricked in sudden awareness, but it had waited too late.

A large, armored arm shot out the abyss and took hold of its head. One of its antennae broke, snapping easily like a twig in the process. It squirmed and thrashed and kicked violently to get free but the grip was sure and superior in strength.

Through the gaps of the man's fingers the creature saw more of the visitor as he stepped forward. It watched as he watched the room, listened as the grey tasset around his waist clinked with every movement he made. For someone of his impressive height and build, his footsteps were surprisingly light on the ground and he did not blunder about like the giant ones outside. Not much could be said of his face for it was hidden beneath a crimson hood, but his eyes: glowing pools of a menacing aquamarine, pierced right through its shadow. The heartless saw no keyblade on his person, only the protruding hilt of a great flamberge sheathed on his back.

Taking advantage of the visitor's morbid curiosity at the state of the room, the heartless acted. It kicked out its spindly legs at his chest; tried to scratch out his eyes. There was a pathetic clang as its limbs met with the unrelenting steel breastplate, and then long, dangerous silence.

The visitor grunted a few words. His tone was low, questioning. The heartless understood nothing, of course, for words were for humans. So all it could offer the visitor was a hiss and continued struggle.

The visitor's grip tightened in response and the heartless let out a screech, calling for help. Like blood from an open wound, other heartless began to pour out of the shadows, yellow eyes fixating instantly on the outsider. Light. It had been so long since light had touched this world. They were starved. They would feed.

. . .

He forced his fist closed and the vermin's head exploded in a cloud of black smoke, its body following suit; dissipating before it hit the ground. He regarded the outcome with narrowed eyes. These demons did not bleed?

"Demons!" he announced, eyeing the lot of them with contempt. "What realm is this?"

He stepped forward and swung Chaoseater from his back, letting it rest on the floor with a loud clang. It was meant to intimidate, but all the dark heads in the room tilted in collective interest at the display. The largest of them staggered forward, one arm reaching to grab for his heart. Silently he commended it for its foolish bravery.

In a flash the blade was sliding out of the ground and into the demon's chest cavity. Yellow eyes seemed to regard the sword and him curiously for a moment before its body went limp. Then, in the same fashion as the smaller underling, it evaporated into nothing. A collective hiss escaped from his audience as he stepped toward them.

One jumped forward. He cleaved it in two, the remains vaporizing quickly out of existence. In that time the others had quickly moved to surround him. They should have used the opportunity to attack him instead.

He slid his left foot slowly backward, leant his weight on it, waiting. They would come now; all at once. Demons had as much honor as he did mercy, he knew in all his confrontations with them. The insight did not fail him now; they came.

He crouched low, steadied his grip on Chaoseater's hilt. When it seemed they were upon him he pushed off his back foot. The movement was so fluid; so sinuous, it could not have been possible for one of his great size and weight. For the horseman it was muscle memory and reflex; training he could never unlearn and had endured in all its brutality for the sake of the_ Balance. _He could hear the Council's chilling timbre as his fingers flexed on the hilt of his sword and he swung.

_YOU NEPHILIM ARE BALANCE ITSELF: YOU STAND ON THE PRECIPICE OF TWO WORLDS; NEITHER ONE, NOR THE OTHER. PRESERVING THIS EQUILIBRIUM IS YOUR DESTINY, YOUR BIRTHRIGHT._

_And Absalom? _

They had no answer.

Chaoseater cut swathe upon swathe deep into the shadowy mass of creatures. Though they fell easily, he chose not to tarry in one place for too long. He would not underestimate these strange creatures, weak as they were. He darted from side to side, pivoted and countered with a deadly thrust occasionally when one managed to lunge from behind. One leapt onto his back, claws scraping against the armor plating and his shoulder guard. He reached behind, took hold and tossed it into one of the larger demons moving into the fray. Chaoseater followed, impaling it right between the eyes. He looked over its dissipating form, toward the scent of self-preservation now stronger than before. The creatures had gathered to one side, their bodies shaking and squishing and pushing tight against one another, until their forms began to soften and merge.

The horseman snorted humorlessly. They hardly stood a chance in number. To think they believed they stood a chance as one was as laughable as it was improbable. Demons rarely co-operated with the Horseman and the Council, and even more rarely amongst themselves. But even he could not deny that he was somewhat impressed at the result. There was no noticeable physical difference in the demon's appearance; it looked to be simply a larger, sturdier version of its tinier selves, if anything. But perhaps it had gained some form of intelligence, for it now waited for _him _to make the first move, antennae focused and twitching in his direction.

Sword at the ready, he walked steadily towards the new enemy, taking faster strides until he was charging forward. Reaching up with one hand, the demon wrenched a ceiling beam free and swung hard and fast, knocking him into the wall. So hard, in fact, that the entire beam shattered upon impact. As the horseman slid back toward the ground, swearing, the demon advanced, a giant fist raised. The ground shook as it brought it down hard, kicking up dust from the impact as he rolled to the side. Pivoting in the same movement, he turned and stabbed Chaoseater right through the center of the demon's hand, trapping it to the ground like a nail through wood.

While the creature focused on removing the sword, he darted up along its useless arm, intent on its head. Forming a fist with his large, enchanted gauntlet he slammed it head on into its expressionless face; black smoke tracking its descent as it fell backward, dazed. He retrieved his sword and started for the head now.

The edges of his blade gave off a crimson glow as he raised it above his head. Without a second thought, he cleaved the demon's head clean in half. The room's floor was filled with so much of its black essence as it dissipated that it poured out of the many cracks in the room to the outside, eventually evaporating into nothing.

He swung his sword back into its place on his back, clasping it back into its binding as he looked around dispassionately.

"I expect to find demons and here I find strangeness," he muttered as he left the room to get a better view of the realm he had stumbled upon. Trekking up a large pile of rubble he took in his surroundings—or rather, what seemed to be left of them.

In the dust-filled valley below he took notice of a group of demons fighting seemingly more evolved forms of their selves, who were clad in white armor. He focused on the insignia inscribed on their breastplates but did not recognize it. The bleakness of the environment however, did trigger an unexpected recollection of his brethren, however. Why the Council had chosen him rather than his more level-headed siblings mystified him, but he suspected Death had a hand in it, as a way of redeeming himself for his 'transgressions' against the White City. If he failed in this task, he knew he would not be able to show his face to Fury or Strife when time came for the Endwar.

_"Something interferes with the Balance. Seek out its source. End it."_

"The 'source' has left this world long ago," he muttered. Returning to the room he had entered this world from, he found a few more visitors had stepped through the portal Ruin had created. Visitors that looked more and smelt more like the demons he dealt with on a regular basis.

Scaly with horns protruding from their heads and snot-dripping snouts sniffing the air, their tails whipped as black, soulless eyes darted all around. Unlike the demons he had encountered previously, these ones possessed poorly made swords, along with the tiniest measurement of intelligence they constantly confused with stupidity. Which was why he had not been spotted as of yet. Their laughter filled the room now; a harsh sound that had all the grace of nails scraping against a hard surface.

"It's so close to becoming enveloped, I can smell it," he heard one hiss as he leant against the back wall and crossed his arms.  
"Yessss," another chimed in, "such unbalance in our favor, and we have not even had to lift a finger. The Endwar is coming…and soon."

"A pity none of you will be able to see it," the horseman added in a dull tone.

All recoiled in surprise in fear and turned. All reached for their weapons. He wanted to laugh. Or perhaps he had, for they seemed to shrink back even further.

"_Horsemen!"_

_"No, just one…" _

_"The Endwar is not even upon us!"_

_"What treachery is thisss!"_

He rolled his eyes at that one.

_"KILL HIM! KILL THE HORSEMAN!"_

"My questions _first_, scum," he snarled.

"I think not…" one of the horde stepped right up to him, breathing foul sulfurous breath down the top of his hood as it prodded his chestplate with a bony finger. "You're a _looong_ way from home, _horseman_…"

"And you are all dead," answered the horseman, with sinister calm.

.

.

. . .

.

.

The world of Nobodies is a wasteland of black ash and hopelessness; a civilization standing at the brink of decay. A civilization never meant to be, but was and now is no more. At the end of this shattered barren landscape lies the remains of a once grand castle; Castle Oblivion. A fitting name for all that can be seen now are its grim spires extending like skeletal fingers from the ground up towards the sky. They are reaching, reaching for a dream. A dream that is not even theirs; a borrowed dream, a fruitless dream; _blasphemous_, his superiors have proclaimed.

But a dream, nonetheless.

Yet for all their 'borrowed' dreaming something cannot simply be created out of _nothing. _

_IT IS LAW_,

he has been taught.

Nobodies are shadows of their former selves. They are _not _their former selves; they are _nothing_. They _feel_ nothing; not joy, not anger, not sorrow. So it is fitting that nothing is their inheritance. It is fitting that this desolation be their true kingdom. For they are _nothingness _itself regardless of size or power; nothing can be greater than _nothing_.

_NOTHING IS THE INHERITANCE OF BLASPHEMERS,_

it has been ruthlessly enforced.

_IT IS BALANCE,_

the Council has decreed.

The larger ones, perhaps thrice his size traverse sluggishly around the wasteland; white armor once well-oiled and gleaming, now aged, dulled and battle-worn. Their insignia, the very symbol for _nothing _lives up to its namesake well; it is so scarcely visible now.

_The search continues_, he observes, _the dream never ends_.

Their footsteps dig deep into the ground as they wade through the debris of broken support beams and cracked slabs of concrete. Arms disproportionate to their height sway back and forth, and drag on the ground with every step. From a distant plane he continues to watch this all with hard eyes. This world in the absence of light should have vanished long ago. Why it continues to thrive while others disintegrate is a question he wants very much to be answered.

And so he has reluctantly hypothesized: despite it being their destiny, _nothing, _cannot be the meaning of these wretched creatures' existence. It is a perverse notion, but he intends to investigate this further—it may be linked to the sudden imbalance in the Three Kingdoms. He knows the Council will send their representative shortly. He hopes it is Death for he ironically, is the only one who can be reasoned with.

Screaming interrupts his reverie and he waves a cloaked hand over the seeing pools. Blood is all he can see before the water becomes still again and he can see an armour-clad figure ripping out a demon's entrails with a savagery he recognizes. He lets out a resigned sigh and waves his hand over the water, erasing the image entirely.

The Council has sent War.

* * *

_To be continued in _

_Chapter 2: The World That Never Was_


	3. Chapter 2: The World That Never Was

**Notes**: If there are any questions, let us know!

* * *

**Chapter 2: The World That Never Was**

* * *

Riku was pacing a hole into the sand. "Where the hell is he?" he glared his watch and then at the unperturbed woman crouched in the sand. "I bet you he slept in again, the idiot."

"He'll be here."

"He'd better not be blowing us off to do this on his own."

Kairi did not look up from studying the thalassa shells in her palm. Plucking one from the bunch she eyed it critically. "Would it be so bad if he did?"

The thought alone made Riku stop pacing and clench his fists. "I'll kick his ass."

"_Boys_," Kairi tossed the shell over her shoulder with a sigh.

Riku crossed his arms, still adamant. "He wanted us to come—we said we would. Therefore, we are going with him."

"And here I was beginning to think 'you guys wanna come with' meant something else _entirely_." Kairi smiled.

_Smart-ass, _Riku thought. Before he could reply Sora emerged from the top of the sand dunes, running toward them like Ansem himself was on his tail. He arrived as he usually did: panting and out of breath with his hands on his knees.

"Guys, hey" he panted, "thanks for making it"

Riku leaned over and flicked his forehead with a finger.

"OW!"

"When I said get some sleep, I didn't mean it was okay for you to sleep _in, _Sora."

"You should be more specific then," Sora grinned, waving him off. As he straightened he noticed the thalassa shells in Kairi's hands. Mischief danced in his eyes and a corner of his lips tugged. "And who, may I ask, would that be for?"

He ducked with a laugh as they went flying at his head, then yelped as she pinched his cheek.

"We've been waiting almost an _hour_ smarty-pants," Kairi scolded, hands on her hips. "Where were you?"

"Oh, just sightseeing before I seal the final door", Sora replied with a wink. He nudged her pointedly. "Sightseeing. Get it?"

Kairi groaned. "Guess the Keyblader can't have it all, huh Riku?"

"Come on guys, I really worked hard on that."

"I'm sure you did. _Anyway_," Riku placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard enough to make the latter wince. "We're coming along with you."

"Thanks Riku. That means a lot to me. Seriously."

_What a sap. _

"Yeah well," the silver-haired man coughed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Gotta make sure you don't trip over yourself when you get to the finish line this time."

"And I brought tissues in case you feel like crying too," Kairi piped up with a giggle.

Sora beamed but then the smile dimmed slightly.

"Sora?"

Quicker than either of them could comprehend, he drew them suddenly into a tight group hug that knocked the air out of Riku's lungs. When he spoke again, his voice was shaky and filled with emotion.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Um," Kairi began awkwardly.

Riku felt something wet on his t-shirt and groaned. _Oh for the love of—_

"_Please_ tell me you're not _crying_ Sora."

"I mean it," Sora insisted, wiping his face hastily. His voice shook. "If it weren't for you guys I…I don't know how things might have turned out. Goofy and Donald…they're awesome but they aren't _you_." He cleared his throat and took a deep, shaky breath. "I guess what I'm trying to say is—" he laughed nervously "gosh it was so much easier in my head—don't know what's wrong with me all of a sudden."

"We get it you dope," Kairi sniffled, hitting him with a weak fist. "And we'll be _fine_, like we always are. Right Riku?"

Riku said nothing, only hugged the two of them tighter while he took a picture of that moment.

It was better than lying.

. . .

They were walking through a pitch black tunnel now, the ground feeling strangely familiar beneath Riku's feet. In this temporary abyss between worlds he could feel the darkness calling out to him, trying to tempt him away from the other two.

"I've been here before," Kairi murmured. "This…place that we're in."

_Riku…_

"It's a conduit that connects worlds to each other," Riku explained, trying to keep his voice even as he tightened his fists. _Focus, _he told himself. _Focus on Kairi._

"Conduit?"

"Kind of like a bridge," Riku said. "Organization XIII and the Nobodies used it a lot. I did too—for a time. To think there was one right here on Destiny Islands and I didn't even sense it."

"Getting old are we?" Sora teased.

"How'd _you_ find it?"

Even in the darkness Riku could tell he was shrugging. "In a dream."

"You can't be serious."

"You're telling me that _now_? After all this time?"

Riku ignored that. "So where does this lead?"

"To the final door. I don't know if you'll recognize it, but we fought there about nine years ago."

"And you forgot to seal it," Riku said incredulously.

"_Guys_," Kairi said reluctantly. "Please tell me that the final door isn't—"

"It is," Riku answered morosely. "The World That Never Was."

"But still is, apparently," Kairi groaned.

. . .

Buildings converged on them from all sides; either ruined or crumbling into ruin. Jagged steel frames and stone pillars rose like giant skeletons and bleak spines, rusted and cracked. Bent iron lanterns lined what might have been a paved road once. The single source of illumination of this world was its moon, cracked right through its center and suspended high above like a broken glass bulb.

"I know we trashed the place but, _what_ _the_ _hell_," Riku said, kicking debris out of his path.

"It's a world without Light," Sora explained, strangely comfortable with their morbid environment.

_Something's off…_

"You've been here before," Riku realized. He stopped in his tracks, forcing everyone to come to a halt.

Sora nodded.

"I mean _after_ we defeated Xemnas," Riku continued, narrowing his eyes at him. He crossed his arms. "And judging by the look on your face, you've been coming back, over and over again, haven't you."

"Riku—"

"_Haven't _you?"

"Yeah..."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Riku demanded.

"Hey, it wasn't on purpose at first. It was after I said good-bye to Doctor Selvig and Thor, I just…I had no way of rebuilding the Highwind thanks to Loki and his lackeys. I really thought I'd be stuck there.

And then Jane found a 'glitch' in their atmosphere, where Dark Matter was seeping through. She figured out how portals worked, and built what I think was an antennae out of fishing rods and foil and I took my chances and jumped. Next thing I know," he shrugged and gestured all around.

Kairi said nothing, just stared at him.

"Yeah. I was trapped here for a while, trying to figure out a way home."

"Define a while," Kairi frowned.

"Well," Sora scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "How's a couple of years sound?"

"_What_?" Riku laughed at the absurdity.

"I'm serious. I had my watch on me to keep track of time on Destiny Islands and the battery died after three years. Don't you remember what that watch repair guy said when we took it to get fixed?"

Riku gave him a dumb look. Sora shoved him with a laugh.

"He said it was _beyond fixing_. All the little parts had rusted right through, like a whole decade had passed or something. Doesn't make sense right, seeing as I've only had it for 'two weeks'?"

Riku put his hand on his friend's shoulder. The poor guy was beginning to lose it. "Sora I think we would have noticed if you had disappeared for a few years. And anyway, don't you think you would have looked…I don't know, a bit older maybe?"

"That's what I thought too. But time here seems to be distorted somehow. I don't know the science—"

"—you don't know _any _science," Kairi piped up with a giggle.

"—but Jane said it might something to do with the lack of Light and the Dark Matter colliding with each other. She said I was reacting to it somehow. Which, you know, isn't really impossible to believe. I mean, I am the Keyblade wielder, right? Funny stuff happens all the time."

"How on earth did you get back home then?"

"You're not going to believe me," Sora said, suddenly grave.

"Try me."

His cheerful childhood friend of almost twenty-five years looked him dead-on, and Riku felt a shiver run down his spine.

"I learnt how to harness darkness."

Riku felt his entire body turn numb as he tried to process it. The cheerful Sora, who refused to give in to darkness…

"…_what_?" Kairi whispered.

"Told you," Sora muttered, looking at the ground.

"Sora…" Kairi began.

Overhead Riku gave Kairi a warning glance. As much as he agreed with her, he knew voicing their reservations or even getting angry wasn't going to help the situation. He made sure his tone was gentle as he asked Sora the important question: _how_.

"I'd tell you if I could understand it myself, but it just sort of _happened_, and not 'just like that' but after a few weeks spent here. The light here is weak, Riku. One day while I was running from heartless and nobodies I just….there was nowhere to run. I let go. It took me a few months, but I managed to find my way back. I'm still me, though."

"You sure?" Kairi asked. "Darkness is a powerful thing, Sora. When I was under…"

"I know what you're getting at, but honestly nothing like that ever happened. I didn't turn into a heartless—nothing. Lucky, huh?"

"So you're really okay," Riku confirmed, peering closely at him. "I mean you do look normal and everything…"

Sora nodded. "I don't know how else I can prove it, but seeing as we're closing the last door none of this will matter anyway, right? The Darkness will be locked away forever."

"I…guess," Riku replied, still perturbed. "As long as you say you're okay…"

"I am. So, should we go?"

"Yeah." Kairi answered, slightly breathless. "The sooner we're done, the sooner we can go home."

"Lead the way," Riku sighed. Maybe Sora was right. He was worrying too much. If memory served, Sora was always the one with the strongest heart out of their group.

The other man turned started walking ahead of them. As they approached the light at the end of the tunnel, ash and bones began to litter their path, which made him tread even more carefully . Either out of respect, disgust or fear of making any sound, Riku could not tell but he and Kairi followed in the same manner. Soon they were out of the abyss, and into the World That Never Was.

Kairi's jaw dropped, her eyes wide open in horror.

Riku stared as well. This was not at all what he had been expecting to see.

Sora walked on, seemingly oblivious, forcing them to follow after him. Eventually, he stopped, pointing to a tower.

"There."

Around the structure lay the remains of battlements and long eroded walls. _An outpost or small fortress at one time, maybe_, Riku thought. There were more skeletal bodies here, all bearing strange rusted armor, clutching at unusual weapons. Weapons that lay useless now.

The entrance to the tower had a rotting red frame, nailed in poorly, with a brass door. Sora pushed it open. It gave way easily to his hand with a low creaking groan.

After checking, he signaled over his shoulder for the others to follow him. Filled with apprehension, Riku let Kairi go ahead of him so that he could flank. The more time he spent here, the more he wanted to scream out to the others that they needed to leave.

It was a small space within the tower, just enough for a rusted spiral staircase leading to the top. As Sora climbed without hesitation Riku inwardly laughed. So typical of the Keyblade wielder to feel the need to check for heartless and not even care about the fact that they could plummet to their deaths at any given moment.

And so typical of himself to trust Sora so easily.

"Are you sure this is safe?" Kairi asked, watching as their footsteps shook some of the rust off the staircase.

Sora shrugged. "I walked up this tower when I first came here so it should be safe".

"_Should be safe_," Kairi repeated incredulously.

"Well if you say is it, then it should be fine then," Riku said with a laugh.

Kairi pinched him.

"I need to show you both to see this and I need to recall where the door lock is." Sora said over his shoulder. "Just a bit further."

"What is _that_?" Kairi asked suddenly, pointing.

The trio stopped to see a fairly large gold armor leaning on the wall. It was adorned with markings and wing-like appendages encased in armor. The visor was slammed shut, and both of its gloved hands limply gripped at a large, bloodied sword that had been impaled in the center of its chest cavity.

"I don't really know," Sora mused. "This world doesn't look like it's had many visitors for a while." He leaned over the railing to look closer at the armor, focusing on the markings etched on the chest plate.

"Nope, have no idea what that means," he said with a laugh.

"_Wow_." Riku said.

"When all of this is over," Kairi scowled, "remind me to kill you."

"Come on, were almost to the top" Sora did his best to keep a smile. Riku wondered why he was clutching his crown pendant tightly all of a sudden.

At the top of the staircase they stepped into a room with wide windows on every side. Sora pointed to one of them.

"Take a look."

It was an abandoned city that stretched all the way to the horizon, littered with remains and ruins. Gold armor, much like the one they had encountered earlier, were scattered either in one piece or many among the holey roof tops of houses that were still standing . The roads did not fare much well either, riddled with large craters of great depth. Windows were shattered, sidewalks split in two.

Riku had to remind himself that this was the World That Never Was, in case he began to feel any sort of sympathy.

"What happened here?" Kairi asked, looking worriedly at Sora.

_The end, _Riku couldn't help but think.

"This place is very old, as far as I can tell there was big battle here and it consumed this world and everyone in it" Sora's tone was full of regret, "I didn't want you guys to see it."

Riku turned away from the window and approached Sora. "Hey," he said, punching his shoulder. "It's okay. Just seal this place and then let's get the heck out of here." Though Riku was trying his best, he knew that his paranoia was not completely out of place. This world would give anyone strong reservations about it. All it had to offer was chaos and death, and realizing that Sora had been here on his own...

"Hey, those gold armored warriors….do you think they were the Nobodies trying to defend this place from something?" Kairi asked in a small voice.

"I don't think so," Riku said, still observing the city. His brows furrowed. "And I don't think they were Nobodies. The door frames of the houses and most of the structures are too small. Those things' armor are way too big.

But, I mean, it's a different culture so I dunno, _maybe_? Would be funny to see those things trying to fit through the door," he finished, running his hand through his hair with a chuckle. "Whatever they were doing out here, it's obvious they gave up."

"I'm sure we can figure it out before we leave," Sora said. "Not that I'm trying to drag our stay or anything," he quickly added, seeing Kairi's expression. He walked to another window and pointed out into the darkness.

"So uh…it's _right_ over there. The last door."

Riku walked over and frowned, leaning on the window sill. He looked at Sora with a deadpan expression. "Sora that's miles away."

"I know," Sora smiled knowingly.

"Oh God," Kairi facepalmed.

"When all this is over," Riku told her, "_I'm _killing him first."

"We're _not walking_ guys," Sora laughed. "You can't get there by foot, the terrain is too messed up and there are deep trenches full of heartless that you can't see from here."

"You don't expect us to _fly, _do you?" Kairi said.

"Has _no one_ been paying attention to anything I've been saying?" Sora chuckled, walking to the center of the room where one of the tiles near his feet was a shade lighter (if you looked hard enough) and almost imperceptibly higher than the tiles around it. "See this?"

He pushed down on the tile with his shoe.

The entire tower began to shudder, filling the silence with the loud sound of stone grinding against stone. The staircase they had come from detached itself and began to twist and sink into the ground, leaving a gaping hole where their potential exit had been.

Sora was grinning from ear to ear. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Kairi stood in front of the hole in disbelief. "The stairs—" her words were halted as a slab of concrete slid in place of the hole, sealing them in. "Sora…" she said, turning and crossing her arms expectantly.

"Just wait for it" he smiled, vibrant blue eyes dancing with anticipation.

Riku sighed as he stared through one of the windows. _At least we have air_. "If Goofy jumped I bet he would have made it," he muttered. He hoped this wasn't what Sora was planning.

"All set? Here we go, hang on guys," Sora tapped on the same brick again but this time with the Keyblade.

An ominous sound of chains sliding against each other. And then—

—_CLUNK—_

—_CLUNK—_

—_CLUNK—_

Thick steel covers came over the windows, closing firmly one by one. From the ceiling, a small lit lamp Riku hadn't noticed before, lowered itself from the ceiling to illuminate the room.

"Everybody hold on," Sora muttered, gripping both Kairi and Riku by the forearm.

"Crap-crap-crap-crap-crap…." Kairi was saying to herself.

When the last window was covered, the room began to creak and shake, louder and harder.

Riku grabbed Sora by the collar. "I _swear_, if we _die_—"

_—WHOOSH—_

The room shot deep into the earth at unbelievable speed, knocking the three friends to their hands and knees, while a loud screeching sound filled their ears.

Riku vaguely registered a familiar clicking sound, and then Sora was laughing like a maniac.

"Fun, right?" he guffawed, flashing his cell phone, showing an embarrassing picture he had taken of him and Kairi. "Riku, you should have seen the look on your _face_! And look at Kairi, she can't even keep her eyes open!"

As much as he wanted to _strangle _him, Riku found himself laughing as well. "Sora I'm going to fucking—"

"What is this!" Kairi shouted.

"Do you remember the story Charlie and the Glass Elevator when we were kids?" Sora laughed while Riku ground his knuckles in his hair.

"The _what_!"

"Never mind!" Sora shoved Riku off and gestured wildly. "This whole room's like a giant elevator! The whole top floor! Right this moment we're sliding down to a shaft under the city that'll slingshot us right to where we need to go! Did I come through for you guys or what!"

Riku sat back on his haunches. "Isn't there a way to make this easier!" He shouted.

"Yeah there is!" Sora pointed to a side of the room (that _again_, Riku wondered why he hadn't noticed earlier) where harnesses were attached to the wall. Sora held up his cell phone. "But I thought this would be more fun! It's totally safe, don't worry! One last adventure, right? Smile!"

Riku laughed, pulling him into the picture.

. . .

Kairi meanwhile, was intrigued by a glint she had seen on the wall. She shook her head as she crawled her way to the harness while the men behind her proved exactly how little they had grown up. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the markings on the steel frames were identical to the ones on the gold armor.

_Was this world their home? _She wondered.

It was on her mind but then again, it was pointless. They were going to have to seal this world as well.

_What happens after we close it? _

The skeletons of the victims plagued her mind.

The room began to slow, and the loud screeching sound became a bit more bearable, eventually lowering to a dull hum.

"Have we… arrived?" Riku said, sounding winded. His answer was the room coming to a sudden halt, throwing him and Kairi forward.

—_CLANK—_

"Yep," Sora jumped up, dusting himself off. He stuck out his hand. "That was fun."

"We are _so _using the seatbelts on the way back," Riku said as Sora helped him and then Kairi up.

Kairi dusted off her hands. "I concur."

"Okay _old-timers_," he teased, calmly walking towards the center of room once more. "Now c'mere and stand next to me, right on the tile. Step right up, ladies and gents."

"Dick," Riku chuckled, giving him the finger.

Once on the tile, Kairi looked up to see markings on the ceiling. Only one was familiar. She pointed to it. "Look."

"Heh. A keyhole." Riku observed. "At least we know that one's universal."

After a mechanical whirr, the ceiling began to split, creating a little square opening. The tile they were on slowly rose.

"Be ready guys," Riku muttered.

"Why?" Sora looked quizzically at him. "I don't sense anything."

"You okay?" Kairi asked. Since their arrival he'd seem more intense than usual.

"Not really," Riku answered. "It's the whole vibe of this place...feels like we're being watched, like something's lurking out there in the darkness. Something…_else_…"

Sora snickered. "Uh yeah. Riku those are called Heartless."

"Whatever, let's just be more careful from now on. There's something off about this place."

Now out of the elevator room, the tile they were on rose until it blended in seamlessly with the new, dusty environment before them.

"We're here" Sora said, covering his mouth with his sleeve.

"What makes this place so special to need an eleva—" Riku stopped and corrected himself "a _dangerous _elevator to reach it?"

Sora seemed more preoccupied with picking up something next to him. It scraped against the ground as he held it up, and after tapping it with the keyblade it burst into light.

"You really have been here before," Kairi said.

With a shrug, Sora raised the lantern high, watching it glow brighter and brighter. The lantern's glow revealed a large oval-like room, with stone walls raising from the floor, converging to a large brass plate on the ceiling. Ahead were long steel tables with maps sprawled all over them and chairs all pushed back. There was a great bookshelf along one wall filled with thick, leather bound volumes covered in dust. Weapons were mounted on the opposite, the same as the ones belonging to the gold knights. In recesses of the walls were other lanterns which Sora did not waste time lighting up.

"Looks like they we're planning or looking for something" Riku said, picking up a map. He frowned, trying to make sense of it. "What does all this even mean?" He looked over at Kairi as she went to the bookshelf and flipped through one of them.

"Hmm…"

"Any luck?" he asked. He distinctly remembered her getting into Linguistics after travelling to all those other worlds.

"Nope," Kairi sighed. "There's a lot of pictures of Sora's keyblade though, on this hooded character," she held up the book so that he could see. "He's wearing it around his neck. Do you think these…people or Nobodies or whatever they were worshiped him?"

"I bet Sora'd like the sound of that," Riku smirked."What do you think Sora?"

At the other end of the room Sora was frowning at a diagram. "Come look at this."

The large sheet of parchment showed multiples spheres dotted with black marks. _The markings on each sphere resembles land or continents_, Kairi assumed. Some of the spheres were completely consumed by black dots. The more she looked at the markings, the more it began to make sense.

"They're ….worlds," she said slowly. "Different worlds that have fallen….how long ago was this?"

"I guess they were losing too, judging by the look of this place," Riku agreed. "Do you think they were keyblade wielders?"

"And they also had wings," Sora remembered. "Like…angels..."

Kairi and Riku stared at him.

Sora shrugged. "Hey, just looked like it to me."

"Whatever they were, it doesn't matter—Sora's sealed away the darkness and that's all that matters. Right?" Kairi touched the latter's arm gently.

Sora nodded. "I want to close this place as much as you guys do. C'mon, the keyholes on this side."

. . .

"I'll be right with you guys," Riku said over his shoulder.

He turned back to the diagram in front of him, tracing a finger along the black blots leading up to the other untouched spheres.

"There's so much death…and blood…but where are the Heartless?" he asked, glancing around.

A larger diagram hanging on the wall seemed to have more detail. _The black dots are everywhere_, Riku thought. It felt like another omen. As he clenched his fist, blue and black static surged a little around it.

_THINK, RIKU…_

_THE ANSWER'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU…_

"Yoohoo, Riku come and see this!" Sora called.

"Yeah yeah fine, let's get this done and go" Riku hid the darkness infused hand behind his back until it gradually faded away.

He found Sora and Kairi standing in front of an unused gold armor on display. The plating was thicker, with pauldrons and greaves and a broad chest plate. The strange markings were everywhere. Its massive hands rested on the hilt of a grand, two-handed sword, elegant and imposing. Riku would have remarked that it looked too fancy use but the nicks and dents along the blade's edge told another story.

The sword itself was taller than him and almost just as wide, with the hilt in a feather-shaped design. The would-be gold warrior's helm was tilted imposingly at them, almost as if to say that it was watching them. Judging them. Trying to gauge their worth in its sanctuary.

"How did those guys ever lose if they were armed to the teeth like this?" Riku shook his head.

He felt the darkness that had been calling to him suddenly ebb away, its suffocating energy receding like the tide. Riku could only think of one reason why: light. Whatever this was, it came from a strong source of light. It filled him with a strange sense of hope. These beings had to be of the light. Their mere presence in this bleak world told them that these warriors were from somewhere beyond.

_And they came to stop something_, Riku thought, suddenly feeling pessimistic. _They came to help. To protect this world from the encroaching darkness._

It was troubling to think that they may have lost or been forced to retreat from a too powerful adversary. Heartless were not meant to be underestimated, but he seriously doubted that they were capable of killing and at the very least fighting beings so infused with light.

"It's a weird, strong feeling isn't" Sora mused. "When I first visited this place...in my dreams...I thought..."

"So this is what you've been dreaming of, huh."

"Among other things, yeah."

"I feel…protected somehow, " Riku said.

He walked closer to it and reached out to touch it. At the last moment he hesitated and decided against the idea. Though the armor was covered in dust it still gleamed with holy splendor. No other markings marred its golden surface, no finger prints, scratches—nothing. Touching it felt like it would be disrupting it from its seemingly age long period of deserved rest.

"I think it belonged to the greatest of them. The others gave off a little bit of that same aura, but this one was the strongest" Sora observed, eyes locked on the visor. "So maybe this was possibly their leader, the boss man in charge of this place." He stepped forward. "As a strong protector and symbol, it would make sense that the keyhole is here," he finished, raising the keyblade until the tip was a few inches away from the chest plate.

"Lock it Sora," Kairi said, nodding as she stood away.

As Riku stepped back, the questions and reservations melted away. It would not matter much in a few moments and the presence of the armor set him at ease. This was the first time in a while that darkness was completely non-existent in him. If possible, he would have thanked the being who bore the armor.

Sora closed his eyes. The armor glowed and shone brightly, basking the room in a brilliant light. The ground shook, books fell off the shelves, weapons shaking out from their racks and clattering across the floor. A shock wave discharged from the armor almost knocking them off their feet. A second wave erupted, not as strong as the first, and sent the maps off the table and strewn over the floor as the room started to shake. It was taking a little longer than usual to draw out the keyhole.

The room grew brighter and brighter. Riku had to shield his eyes from the intensity of it. It wasn't hot, but he wasn't going to take his chances. After some time, the light dimmed, revealing keyhole of light suspended in mid-air, right in front the armor. But unusual red static was crackling around its edges.

Riku's eyes narrowed at the sight. "That's not supposed to happen."

. . .

Sora lowered his Keyblade, and took in the sight of the abnormal Gateway lock. The reality around it seemed to bend and distort, like it was collapsing on itself. He gathered his nerves and took a deep breath.

"We're going home guys. I promise."

"We'd better," Kairi muttered.

Sora raised his weapon again. The portal glowed brighter as if sensing the Keyblade Wielder's further resolve and the air around them grew cold. Light shot forth from Sora's weapon and the keyhole rippled—a sign that it was going to close. The Keyblade shuddered as well, mirroring it.

Sora felt himself smile. Soon it would all be over. His destiny. Everything. Then, he could go home with the others and—

_—RIIIIP—_

A tear appeared in the reality surrounding the keyhole. And then another, and another, almost as if...

"A-a portal?" Kairi stammered, dumbfounded.

"What…the…hell…" Sora said.

Riku quickly summoned Soul Eater and readied himself. "Sora, seal it now!" he ordered. "Sora, _now_! We can't let them through! It could be the same thing that killed the knights!"

But even as he said it, Sora struggled to turn the Keyblade. "I'm trying! It doesn't seem to work!"

"Guys…" Kairi said slowly. "I think we're out of time."

The red static began to grow and intensify, its hum becoming more intense by the minute. A black abyss started to form from within , forcing the tears in reality even further apart.

"Sora!" Riku snapped.

"I'm trying, okay? I don't know what's happening!" Sora growled, trying to keep the power in check and continue to close the portal.

The energy suddenly surged out and struck Kairi, sending her flying across the room and slamming the wall hard. She slumped to the floor and lay sprawled on her back, groaning as blood trailed down her temple.

"Kairi!" Riku shouted running to her aid.

Sora could only look on helplessly. How did everything get so—

He frowned. The red static was receding, all of a sudden. He looked back at his friends. Kairi was now sitting up against the wall, thankfully while Riku concentrated Cure spells on her head. He turned back to the decaying portal and felt his blood run cold.

_-crack-_

—_CRAAAACK_—

Cracks were beginning to appear in the Keyhole, right through the middle. But that was only turning out to be the tip of the iceberg. Sora heard it, hoping it was just his imagination running away with him.

Footsteps.

Heavy, menacing footsteps.

The light from the Keyblade faltered and faded. Sora cursed and tried summoning the energy again. Before he even leveled his weapon at the Keyhole, a massive gauntleted arm tore through the crack, planting clawed fingers firmly into the stone, before feeling around for the portal's edge and gripping it.

"Riku, Kairi, get back!" Sora jumped back as well and raised his weapon to fend off the unknown visitor trying to get through.

Riku lifted the injured Kairi and carried her behind the tables. Gently he lay her down and set the furniture into a makeshift barricade before rushing over to Sora's side, Soul Eater in hand.

Another armored hand appeared, smaller than the first, but large compared to anyone Sora knew. It grabbed the opposite end of the tear and began to pull, harder and harder until—

—_RIIIIIIIP—_

"Fuck," both men said in unison.

"What do we do now?" Sora muttered, though the answer was obvious.

Riku's voice was terse. "When has anything from a dark portal ever been good news? I'm going to distract him. You get Kairi someplace safe, okay?"

"Maybe he's friendly," Sora whispered.

The figure emerged, a large man (or something that resembled one) donned in black and grey armor. With one of his arms he reached overhead and drew an enormous sword. Sora's eyes went to the one of the man's great pauldrons. It was shaped vaguely like a...

A skull.

Skulls were definitely not a good sign. Or a friendly one.

Beneath a red cowl white smoldering eyes locked on them menacingly. Behind the man the torn portal warped and shrunk, eventually disappearing.

"So it is you," the man said, looking directly at Sora. "You are the one interfering with the Balance." His voice was hoarse and guttural; Sora hoped it wasn't because the latter spent a lot of time yelling out in battle.

"Balance?" Sora repeated.

The man raised the oversized sword up high and swung.

Sora and Riku reacted fast, dodging the enormous blade cleaving down on them. The sword's edge bit deep into the stone floor, causing the floor to shatter upon impact. Debris of stone and clouds of dust exploded outwards.

"Who are you!" Sora shouted, raising the still glowing Keyblade, adjusting himself to the enemy's next possible attack.

Heavy greaves echoed in the room as the visitor approached. His menacing shadow dwarfed the young warriors. His tone was filled with contempt. "You wish to fight?"

"Nah," Riku said, massing dark energy in his hand, "we just wanna enjoy a cup of tea."

The man looked between both of them and then to Sora he said, "You ally yourself with such things…the proof of your transgression continues to pile high."

"Transgression? What transgression?" Sora demanded.

"Fear not, your souls shall reunite in the afterlife."

"Shut up!" Riku yelled, charging at him.

"Riku!"

Sora's plea went on ignored. Riku aimed for the man's face, Soul Eater raised high. He felt some satisfaction at the thought that his earlier paranoia had probable merits. He lashed out but met the man's massive blade in a deafening clang on steel as his attack was parried much too easily.

Their swords clashed and then locked.

Riku struggled to gain ground but the warrior before him merely stood there with his glowing eyes fixed on him, plainly unaffected by Riku's attempts to push him back.

"You are far too weak, boy." He told Riku. Adding a little weight behind the blade, he flung him away.

Riku skidded against the stone and steadied himself with a smirk. "What makes you think I'm playing this fair?" With a grunt of effort Riku propelled himself forward. The momentum and angle of his attack was able to parry the big sword's edge to the side, exposing the foe's armor plated chest. He held up a free hand and released a barrage of energy bursts. The room was tinged blue as the discharge pulsed from his hand and pushed his enemy back, almost hitting the large golden armor on display.

The energy bursts continued, Riku's breathing getting heavier and heavier. But the man's armor remained intact.

. . .

Sora meanwhile, had rushed to where Kairi was. Heart beating fast, he kneeled beside her.

"Kairi, can you hear me? Open your eyes if you can."

Kairi's eyelids fluttered slowly. "Sora…" Her voice was faint.

"Yeah, I'm here. Riku is dealing with something."

"Help...him...we need to...Riku can't..."

"I know. I need you to stay hidden. Don't come out till it's safe." He held her hand and squeezed. "Okay?".

She tried to stand, only to slump against the wall again. "Let me help..I can help…"

"No, stay here."

"Sora…both of you, please be careful." She said, managing to get up a bit to hug her friend.

"I'll be right back with Riku and we'll leave." Sora promised, forcing a smile.

She passed out then, and Sora placed her head on his lap, taking off his jacket, folding it into a makeshift pillow. He placed it under her head gently and lowered her head slowly to the ground.

. . .

Riku ceased firing, observing his handiwork. The floor around the man was charred black and filled with holes, still smoking from his assault. Riku had managed to force him into a kneeling position in order to hold his ground.

As the visitor rose, so did Soul Eater.

"I am known by many names in different realms." The man stated, stepping forward, his sword to the side at the ready.

Riku almost did not react fast enough when the enormous figure swiftly charged forward, intent on cutting him down. He dashed to the side, barely missing the blade and retaliated with a swing of his own just in time to block.

Sparks flew as their blades clashed, and Riku was shoved roughly backward.

"War is what I am." The man said. He blocked Riku's sword coming quickly at the side easily, like the effort had been little more than stopping an ant in its tracks.

"Is that suppose to intimidate me?" Riku spat. He continued to attack, but in a more randomized fashion, because it was becoming apparent his foe had been more than well-trained. The way 'War' reacted and moved around Riku, coordinating his returning strikes with deadly precision, it was as if he had been specifically _bred _for battle and no other purpose. Bookshelves were cleaved in half, sending ancient bound volumes scattering. Tables were reduced to splinters. Everywhere he went, ruin followed. He was a force of nature.

"No." War answered emotionlessly. He slashed upwards, only to be stopped by Riku's weapon, locking them together again. But Riku realized too late he had been waiting for that. Before he could get away War's monstrous hand shot forward and grabbed hold of his head, squeezing hard.

The visitor smirked.

* * *

_To be continued in_

_Chapter 3: I Am War_


	4. Chapter 3: I Am War

**Notes:** The rating for this has been changed to M. If you've seen how War fights in Darksiders you already know why.

Special thanks _eliwats22_ . We appreciate the feedback! This one's for you.

* * *

"And there went out another horse _that was_ red: and _power_ was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."

**Revelation 6:4**

* * *

**Chapter 3: I Am War**

* * *

Soul Eater rebounded with a loud clang as Riku slashed at the arm hoisting him up. War's grip tightened, and then in a movement too fast for the young man to comprehend, brought his arm down hard, slamming Riku's head on the floor. Blood smeared against the stone tile as he was raised up again. Soul Eater dissipated, and the world suddenly became out of focus.

All Riku could see were stars. Bright red bloody ones. And then when the world seemed to stop spinning, he stared into white-blue, glowing eyes.  
War was only just getting started. His sharp fingertips dug deep into Riku's skull, and then the floor was rushing up to meet him. A fracture appeared in the tile as his head connected with it, getting larger and larger as War repeated his savage onslaught. Again and again. More blood. More pain.

The tile shattered. Blood everywhere. Riku spat out more of it as he tried to push himself up, and War helped him.

In his own way.

He grabbed Riku from the back of the head. Forced him down hard into the mix of gravel and blood and began to drag him, breaking into a sprint impossible for his heavy stature. For the five longest seconds of his quickly deteriorating life, Riku became a human excavator—like the ones you see on a construction site. For five seconds he tasted nothing, smelt nothing, felt nothing but cold stone cutting into his face and dirt and blood filling up his mouth and nostrils. Clogging his windpipe. Making him choke.

Riku was released, and this time after he collapsed on the floor, coughing, he didn't get up. He couldn't. With his boot, War nudged him roughly until he was lying on his back.

Breathing laboriously, Riku stared up, delirious.

They say your life begins to flash before your eyes when you die.

. . .

_Kairi was smiling. "Okay, we'll finish it together. I'll race you."_

_"What?" Riku groaned, looking at Sora. "Are you kidding?"_

_"Ready? Go!"_

_And Riku was running as fast as he could, Kairi's laughter trailing him. _

_Though he lost that race on purpose, he remembered envying Sora's determination. _

. . .

A heavy boot plummeted into Riku's chest, pulling him back from oblivion and ripping out a scream before it became stifled by all the blood he was coughing out. His ribs were cracked. One of his lungs had been punctured. There was no doubt about that.

And still War wasn't done.

Three more mighty stomps inched Riku deeper into the ground. Inched him closer to death. Staying awake became the battle now. His body was screaming and bleeding for rest, but Riku fought it.

_No,_he thought, _not like this. _

. . .

_"Aww c'mon, Riku. You've been hanging out in darkness too long. You gotta think positive!"_

_"You know, I always figured I was better at stuff than you," Riku admitted._

_"_Really_." _

_"Are you mad?"_

_"No, I kinda always thought you were better at everything too."_

. . .

Riku focused through his blurring vision and clenched his fists. Soul Eater slowly began to materialize. But even a tiny part of him knew he wasn't going to be fast enough. War wasn't like any of the other enemies he'd encountered. War didn't toy with him like they had, and he definitely did not waste time. He brought down his heel and crushed Riku's arm, snapping the bones in half with an audible crunch. Riku screamed.

"Your persistence is commended," War groused, when he was quieter. He stepped over Riku, his sword pointed and hovering just over his heart. It glinted beautifully as he raised it up high. Beautiful, but deadly.

It descended.

Time seemed to slow as Riku watched haplessly. Death was coming. He let out what he thought was his last breath, closed his eyes and welcomed it.

A familiar bright light seeped through his eyelids, but nothing pierced him. Had War decided to show him mercy? Or had he died? There was the familiar din of steel meeting steel and Riku heard a grunt, followed by a loud boom as something went flying across the room, smashing through the wall. He could taste dust as it rained from the ceiling in the aftermath. Mustering what strength he could manage, he pried his eyes open.

Sora was standing over him, his expression a mixture of things: exasperation, anger, worry, relief…

"It's not that bad," Riku had to force the words out. He couldn't handle the way Sora was looking at him, not right now, not when the stakes were beginning to pile higher.

"Cura," Sora gritted out, waving an arc of healing light over him. He crouched down to help him up.

"I had him" Riku grunted, summoning Soul Eater again. He rubbed his previously broken arm to reassure himself it was still in working order.

"_Sure_ you did."

Riku looked to see what happened. There was a gaping hole in the wall, and others in the eight rooms that followed, leading outside. Their edges were glowing hot.

"Did you—"

"You rely on darkness too much." Sora said.

Riku was awed. That kind of light was usually used to seal worlds. Amazing. And War wasn't getting up—at least, not in the meantime. "You got any more juice for another?"

"It was a fluke, actually."

_Damn. _"Where's Kairi?" Riku asked. A sudden wave of dizziness overtook him and he swayed unsteadily on his feet with a groan.

"What's wrong?"

"My head…" Riku muttered as Sora supported his weight.

"Here," Sora made to heal him again. Riku stopped him.

"You'll need it," he explained. "If you can knock this guy away, I'm sure you can do a lot more."

"But—"

"No time for that. Now, where's Kairi? We're getting out of here."

"Idiot," Sora muttered before adding, "Kairi's fine, we need to get her and get out of this world."

Riku nodded. He didn't want to even _imagine_ what brutality War could unleash on her. "That's good at least…." He stopped short, staring at Sora.

There was a dark silhouette hovering around Sora's profile. As the latter moved, it moved with him. The reality around it seemed to ripple, like a mirage.

_THINK, RIKU_

The outline was human…almost. And the harder he stared, the more it seemed to grow. Riku tilted his head up, where the head should be. Yellow eyes. No mouth. It placed black viscous fingers on Sora's shoulders and leered at Riku. Black goo dripped onto his best friend, evaporating with a hiss as contact was made. Sora didn't even notice.

_DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE HIM?_

Sora looked behind him and then back to him, quizzical. "What is it?"

"I thought—" Riku felt a stabbing pain in his temple and then his vision began to blur as the world suddenly tilted on its axis.

"Whoa there," Sora chuckled, steadying him.

Riku had to blink several times until things came into focus again.

"Better?" he was asked.

"Sora", he said roughly as they hobbled over to Kairi. "Are you _sure_you're alright?"

"Quit joking around."

"You're going to have to carry her," Riku decided, while Sora knelt by her. "I'll hold him off."

As Sora tried to wake Kairi, Riku watched him, determined.

_I _ _know what I saw. _

"It's there." he muttered to himself. He knew what he had seen. Even if he couldn't see it, he could still sense its presence.

_YOU CAN'T SAVE HIM_

"What's where?" Sora's voice broke him free of his thoughts as he walked over. "Hey, you okay? You've been acting—"

"Sora, look out!"

Pain lanced straight through Riku's back as he shoved him out of the way. He looked at Sora's face, frozen in horror at Riku's chest where the bloodied edge of a gold sword protruded outward. The same golden sword that had belonged to the light warrior. Blood trickled along the steel, dripping onto the tile as Riku fell forward from its weight. The blade clattered loudly against stone after the momentum pushed it out of him.

Riku lay there, breathing hard.

_It's over, isn't it?_

_FOR YOU, PERHAPS_

. . .

"Riku!" Sora cried out, rushing to him. He concentrated Curaga on the wound, but it refused to close. Riku meanwhile coughed up blood.

"G-get out…" he sputtered, gripping Sora's arm. He could feel his strength leaving him as more blood pooled in his mouth and around his body. "Y-you…and K-Kairi…"

"No! No… Riku please stay awake!" Sora's voice was shaky. "We still have to get Kairi and get out…Riku please." Tears filled his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. "Riku you can't give up—not now! We're so close! I p-promise…"

"I-If you don't...leave...you'll die...idiot."

"No, Riku! Curaga! CURAGA!"

_Why isn't it working!_

"You will join him, soon enough," War muttered from the other end of the room. With the back of his fist he knocked the gold armour violently out of his way. Sora glared through tears as the metal clanked and clattered unceremoniously on the floor.

"You are interfering with the Balance," War continued, drawing his sword once more. "And for that you must die, as decreed by The Charred Council. The Third Kingdom is far from ready for the Endwar. And though it would be a waste of such young life, what are a few compared to the lives of many?"

"Sora…" Riku's voice could barely be heard now. "You have to—Kairi…he's too—" he coughed violently, and some of his blood splattered over Sora's face. "Leave…me."

"No," Sora whispered. "We're going home."

"The weapon that pierced your comrade is an Archangel's claymore," War said coldly, striding forward. "It will fester and destroy all things with a dark pulse and though your friend is no demon, he might as well be. I might have missed his heart but he will still die."

"SHUT UP! YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A MONSTER!" Sora yelled. He turned to Riku and tried Curaga again.

_Why isn't it—_

"He is _not_ an exception." War was almost upon them.

Sora looked at War, angry and for the first time he felt fear and rage mix. He looked back to his dying friend, tears trailing down his face as he held Riku's head to his chest. He could feel him getting colder and colder.

"What am I suppose to tell Kairi, Riku?" Sora demanded through his tears. "Kairi…she'll be so mad…"

. . .

Riku was barely conscious, but he managed to open his eyes a bit. The large transparent phantasm outline he saw earlier was now more visible, yellow eyes watching the approaching enemy with a smile full of jagged teeth. It turned that gaze on Riku and held up a finger to its lips.

Riku could do little to inform let alone consider what he was seeing. He turned to the distraught Sora. He struggled to speak.

"Be… careful…" a sharp pain dug into his insides and he coughed violently, but he soldiered on. It would all be over soon. "I-I don't….k-know what… it is…p-please, be careful… don't ever change…d-don't die here".

Riku's eyes closed.

Sora tried to wake him up, telling him to stop kidding around. No response. Enraged, Sora turned to War, slowly putting his friend down. His black shirt was soaked and glistening with Riku's blood. His eyes, red from tears, for the first time looked upon his enemy with hatred. Always he had fought to protect. Now he would fight to kill. To take back what was ripped violently from him.

He summoned the Keyblade in one hand and reached down and picked up the golden sword that killed his friend with the other. He gripped them both, forcing himself to adjust in an instant to their different weights. Grinding his teeth, he propelled forward in a swift run with both weapons at his sides.

War raised a blood smeared gauntlet in front of him, flexing the sharp claws. His other weapon was brandished behind him, ready to grant death. He heaved to his side, avoiding the archangel's claymore by inches.

The floor was almost split open in Sora's rage. Before War could swing that massive blade of his, Sora's sword sliced through the air in a horizontal arc, smashing into his breast plate. War staggered backward but with his enchanted gauntlet grabbed onto the keyblade, stopping Sora's follow up attack. Scorching heat and light from the blade pulsed, rejecting the adversary's touch. With a curse he let go.

Sora used the distraction to his advantage, and swung the claymore, aiming for War's face.

War landed a kick with his heavy greave, before that could happen, pushing all the air out of his lungs. As Sora struggled to regain his breath, an armored fist bludgeoned him in the face from the side, sending him straight to the ground. Cold sharp steel followed, piercing right through his shoulder, tearing his tendons, pinning him to the ground.

Sora yelled in pain as it surged in his body. The Keyblade disappeared. He let go of the claymore. Let go of everything. The edge of War's blade began to glow a deadly crimson color.

With his free hand War hammered down firmly atop of the sword's pommel, driving the blade further into Sora's shoulder until he severed his arm. Sora's screams echoed through the room and the entire World That Never Was. Vaguely he wondered if his friends from the other worlds could hear it too.

Wondered if they'd come to his rescue if they did.

. . .

_"I'm looking for someone," Cloud began. "Hades promised to help. I tried to exploit the power of darkness, but it backfired. I fell into darkness, and I couldn't find the light."_

_"You'll find it. I'm searching too."_

_"For your light?" he asked, rising. _

_Sora nodded. As he passed, Cloud dropped something in his hand. _

A keychain?

_"Don't lose sight of it."_

_Cloud was already at the door when he looked up again. _

_"How about a rematch some time?" Sora called. "Fair and square, no dark powers involved."_

_"I think I'll pass."_

. . .

"Before I kill you, scum," War's rough timbre cut through his reverie. "What were your motives for disrupting the Balance?"

Sora looked at him with angry eyes. Balance? A heavy boot planted firmly on his chest, squeezing the air out of him, barring his escape.

"Sora!" He yelled. "My name is Sora…..you killed my friend!".

"Sora..." War grabbed him by the throat and lifted him till he was eyelevel.

"Die knowing that your name is known but will soon disappear…..just like your comrade and the woman you think you can hide over there," he gestured to where the tables lay.

_NO_

Sora was suddenly consumed with horror at the thought of losing Kairi right after Riku, despair and rage took hold of him.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!"

Materializing the Keyblade, he aimed for War's head. The proximity was perfect. War's head jerked to the side as the blade smacked him on the side of it, loosening his grip momentarily.

It was all Sora needed anyway.

. . .

_"Don't worry Sora. If anyone can save your friend, you can."_

. . .

From then on, everything was on auto-pilot.

. . .

_"When I turned into a Heartless, you saved me, remember? " Sora told her. "I was lost in the darkness. I couldn't find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then, I heard a voice. Your voice. You brought me back."_

_"I didn't want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn't."_

_"That's it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that's what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within."_

. . .

While Sora landed on the ground, War stumbled back trying to regain his sense from the impact. He ran forward, swinging the Keyblade hard across War's chest. Adrenaline and fear of losing the only other family he had left made him numb to everything else. He swung, again and again. The Keyblade glowed brighter and brighter with every hit.  
War suddenly swung his massive sword side horizontally with a grunt and Sora managed to parry in time, throwing him off balance. With another slice Sora knocked his weapon away.

"Hmph," was all War said to this. He thrust forward with his enchanted gauntlet and clenched his fingers around where he had dismembered Sora's arm. Pain overwhelmed him, too much to notice the other fist coming, hard and fast. He was sent flying into a bookshelf.

. . .

_"I can't help?" Kairi pouted._

_"You'd kind of be in my way," Sora admitted with a laugh._

_"Okay. You win." She took his hand and pressed something into his palm. "Take this. It's my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me."_

_"Don't worry. I will."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

. . .

War, rested his sword against his shoulder and lunged. Midway he brought down Chaoseater, aiming to slice Sora in half. Even if he was a capable fighter, the boy was still human. His skin wasn't evolved from decades of battle and sturdy like the demons of the Second Kingdom. The arc was perfect, the impact powerful but the blade strangely failed to strike, rebounding from an almost imperceptible barrier encompassing him in a sphere.  
War struck again and again. The barrier shimmered and rippled, but refused to break.

He could see the boy's weapon glowing in the rubble.

. . .

_"Don't ever forget. Wherever you go, I'm always with you."_

. . .

"Coward!" War bellowed. "Stop hiding, your weapon will not defend you!"

Sora's Protectga was beginning to wear off. Grunting, he rose from the wreckage. There were flashes of light as War's weapon hammered against it relentlessly. He picked up the keyblade and waited, letting out even breaths.

The barrier finally shattered, fading away into nothing. War moved swiftly to engage him, swinging his blade to land a killing blow.

Sora dodged as best he could, but parrying War's attacks with one hand steadily began to take its toll on him. As War's strikes came at him faster, heavier and harder, there became no more room or energy left to strike back. In his heart Sora knew War had won.

It was only a matter of time now.

. . .

_Sora watched Beast as he lumbered past. "And though I am on my own I will fight! I won't leave without her. That's why I'm here."_

. . .

Too tired to grip his weapon, the keyblade shimmered and disappeared leaving Sora defenseless. War sliced at him diagonally, cleaving across muscles and tissue. Blood sprayed out from his chest, bathing the floor in crimson.

"N…no….no" Sora said, bleeding out fast.

War sent a kick to Sora's face, breaking his nose while his head jerked backward from the impact. Another kick knocked him onto his back. Sora tried to sit up—

War's sword plunged through his stomach, piercing through into the cold stone floor. He twisted it, slowly, shredding Sora's insides.

Sora's yells were drowned out by the blood in his throat, wrapped in pain.

"SORA!"

He faintly heard his name called out.

War looked up to see a Riku dropping right on him. He had been wide open for an attack.

Riku thrust his hand forward into War's red shroud.

"Take THIS!"

Blue and black energy exploded from his hand. The blast sent War's upper body recoiling backwards, but his feet did not budge. In a chilling moment of clarity, Sora realized that Riku would not be ready for what came next. War's massive hand shot out and clamped tight on Riku's shoulder. In a fluid movement he stabbed straight through his heart. The arm on Riku's shoulder moved to his neck, choking him as it raised him off the ground.

" I have had all I could tolerate from you." War said, with dead calm. He ripped the sword out of his body and let it clatter to the floor.

"Please….no…" Sora begged through the clanging in his ears. "Take me…instead…"

His words failed to reach his own ears. Riku dangled and feebly tried to break free, forcing more blood out from his chest. He started to choke as War's grip began to tense and close, making his eyes bulge.

. . .

Riku noticed Sora's stare as well as the yellow eyes of the black phantasm outline surrounding him.

_YOU CANNOT SAVE HIM_

In the wake of pure horror on Sora's face Riku just smiled. Feeling the end approach, he mouthed,

_"It's okay. Don't die here. Don't—_

War snapped his neck. Riku's entire body slackened, relinquished of life.

. . .

"RIKUUUUUU!" The scream was leaving Sora's throat before he even realized it. He tried to get up, but his body refused to obey.

War surveyed the corpse with hard eyes. "You should have stayed down."

He tossed Riku's corpse carelessly aside and bent to pick up his sword.

"Riku…" Sora said weakly.

The corpse didn't move. Didn't respond. Didn't breathe. His eyes were glass as they stared up at the ceiling.

"And now it's your turn," War said. But it wasn't Sora he was talking to. He was walking over to the tables where Kairi was hidden.

"Kairi!" Lying where he was, and desperate, Sora tried several times to manifest the keyblade.

Nothing.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" He began to cry as his body refused to cooperate.

With a kick War sent the tables flying away in chunks. Kairi was still there, lying down sleeping, her breathing strong. Hopelessly unaware, vulnerable.

"It is not like me to kill my enemies in their sleep." War raised his sword. "But as Ruin's incurable poison flows deep within your veins, this shall be a mercy to you."

He plunged it right through Kairi's chest.

Her eyes wrenched open and she screamed, staring at the sword through her chest. She tried to get up but War sank and twisted the blade further. Blood gushed from her mouth, gagging her screams. Unable to scream now, her eyes teared up, terrified.

War stomped on her feet to keep her from moving, crushing them. Though she couldn't scream, Sora heard her. He could see white bone splinters dripping with blood beneath the greaves. He screamed in anguish until his voice was hoarse.

"Riku!" Kairi hiccupped out in tears and blood "Sora! Help me…please…."

She saw Sora staring at her and silently pleaded for him to help.

Sora tried to get up. He really did. But he had reached his limit.

War continued to twist his sword, cracking open Kairi's chest cavity, spilling out her entrails onto the floor around her until her movements ceased. Blood seeped out and pooled around her while he removed the blade and shook the blood free. He was about to walk away when he paused, looking at Kairi. He knelt, and using a free hand closed her eye lids and tucked her arms to her side.

"Kairi…" Sora mouthed, bowing his head. His hand clenched into a fist and he banged it against the tile.

_I couldn't save her._

_YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF_

. . .

As War stood, a loud boom filled the room. Over his shoulder he saw the portal opening up again, black and green demonic energy emanating from it. Small scaly arms with sharp talons began to spring out of the abyss, tearing it wider. A head with horns started to emerge. He readied Chaoseater and waited.

. . .

Sora felt his purpose for existing die as he looked upon his friends. His arm shook as he tried to reach for them. How had all of this happened?

How could—

_YOU LET IT HAPPEN_

_YOU LET THIS HAPPEN_

_Riku…_

_Kairi…_

_THEY'RE GONE, NOW_

_BUT I'M HERE_

_. . ._

An odd sense of being enveloped came over him as he felt himself slipping away. At the corner of his eye, a black thick shadow emerged and covered Sora's arm. And then it began to spread all over his body. It reached his chest, covering his wounds and slowly approaching his head, almost like a dark cocoon.  
In the mist of his consciousnesses, intent echoed in him, an unknown urging telling him to escape.

_No,_Sora thought, closing his eyes. _There's no reason to fight anymore…_

The unknown urge continued to resonate within him.

_Get up. Fight. _

_Please, Sora._

_No. _Sora shook his head in deep resignation._ No more…_

The room began to grow dark. The lanterns died out one by one. Snuffed as easily as War had done his friends. The portal became the only source of light as it pulsed and hummed. Sora could barely discern the figures emerging from the portal and War standing in front it, ready. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not anymore.

_Let them come,_he thought, glancing at Riku and Kairi for one last time, immortalizing them in his memory. _It's over anyway. _

. . .

_"Take care of her…"_

. . .

The shadow encompassed his mouth, silencing his voice and continued to creep upward until only his eyes remained.

_Sora, please fight._

_ Why should I?_

_YOU'RE MINE_

Sora crumpled onto the ground, defeated. Lying on his side, with his arm outstretched to his friends, he waited for death to reunite them again. Light suddenly erupted from within the portal, destroying the monsters that had arrived prior. And then he saw nothing, only darkness as it enveloped him in full. In the silence he was able to hear his own heartbeat, growing weaker and weaker.

. . .

_"Kairi! Remember what you said before? I'm always with you too. I'll come back to you. I promise!"_

_"I know you will!"_

. . .

Riku.

Kairi.

His Destiny.

Sora closed his eyes and gave himself up.

To death.

To oblivion.

To darkness.


End file.
